Assessment Description:

Purpose of Assignment: To become familiar with the GCU digital classroom, the GCU website, and the academic writing expectations at GCU.

Use the attached document to complete the assignment.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

Benchmark Information

This benchmark assignment assesses the following general education competencies:

University Foundations

GED1C1 Demonstrate foundational academic success skills.

GED1C2 Explore GCU resources (Library, Student Success Center, Student Disability Services, etc.).

Solution to UNV-103: University Success - GCU Resources and Writing Expectations Worksheet.

SAMPLE 1

Topic 1 Assignment: GCU Resources and Writing Expectations Worksheet

Directions: Type directly into this document. Complete all 13 questions in Part 1 and the matching exercise in Part 2. Provide the answers you find in one to two sentences, or in short answer format. Please DO NOT forget to SAVE once you begin to answer the questions, so you do not lose any information.

When you have finished, save the document. While in the assignment drop box: 1.) click BROWSE FROM MY COMPUTER, 2.) upload your saved document, 3.) SUBMIT to FINAL SUBMISSION.

Assignment Due Date: End of Topic 1

Part 1: Navigating the Digital Classroom and the GCU Website

(The spacing will be adjusted as you type your responses. Please DO NOT forget to SAVE once you begin to answer the questions, so you do not lose any information.)

The following questions are directed towards the digital classroom:

1. View the links on the side navigation bar (on the left side of the display page). Describe the following links:

Announcements	This is where the instructor will share crucial tips and advice pertaining to a specific week or topic.
Syllabus	This directs one to a tab containing the course description, instructor’s contact information, class materials, course participation requirements, and course grade scale.
Gradebook	This contains the grades scored, due date and submission date for all assessments.
Library	This is where one can search for journal articles and other resources in various databases. The hours when the library is open are also available in this tab.
Student Success Center	You can access tutorials, writing templates, style guides, college-specific documents, plagiarism prevention methods, and university policies and handbooks here. This tab can be customized to suit one’s requirements.
Learning Support	This tab contains general on-campus resources includingCampus map, Parking on campus, Dining on campus. Other supportive features include disability services, public safety etc. aimed at making one’s GCU experience more convenient.
Classroom Policies	Here, you will find current classroom policies and Plagiarism Prevention Tutorial.

2. Explain the steps to find your grades and instructor feedback in the digital classroom.

Click on the "Gradebook" tab to view all of your assignments. Click on the specific assignment you want to check the grade for, and the number of comments will also be shown. Click on the comment to see the feedback from the instructor.

3. In the digital classroom, click on the STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER. Click on the dropdown next to the RESOURCES menu (top right). Under TOOLS, choose WRITING CENTER. From there click on STYLE GUIDES AND TEMPLATES and review the APA 7^th Edition Style Guide and Template.(You may want to right click and save the guide and template to your computer for future reference). After reading the Style Guide, why do you think academic writing requires such strict formatting?

My view is that academic writing necessitates precise formatting to showcase professionalism and to indicate expertise and proficiency in effectively communicating with peers within a specific discipline.

4. In the Digital Classroom click on, DISCUSSION FORUMS and CLASS QUESTIONS and explain the purpose of the two areas.

The two sections offer a platform for addressing any inquiries or issues that students or the instructor may have, allowing for a collective resolution of such matters.

5. In the Digital Classroom, click MESSAGES (in the purple ribbon to the right of the My Classes drop down at the top of the calendar page). What is the purpose of Messages?

The tab enables students to inquire or express concerns directly to their course instructor. Once a question or concern is raised, the instructor will receive a notification and reply through the MESSAGES tab.

6. Click on the SYLLABUS tab in the digital classroom and select TOPIC 1. Not including the “Topic” heading and the “Objectives” sub-heading, what are the two main headings found on the page?

Assessments and Resources are the two main headings found on the page.

7. Go to the LIBRARY tab and locate About Us. Click on the Contact Us link in the drop down. Describe two ways to get help using the Library’s resources.

Two ways to get help using the Library’s resource are via calling or emailing a librarian.

8. Click the ANNOUNCEMENTS tab. Why is it important to read the announcements at the beginning of each week? What is something important you see in the announcements?

It is crucial to carefully review the announcements at the start of every week as this is where the teacher will share valuable tips and advice related to the specific week or topic. A key point highlighted in the announcements is that students are advised against contacting the instructor regarding their grades unless there has been a delay of over 4 days following submission.

9. In the digital classroomclick the question mark icon in the top right corner, then click the Contact Technical Support at the bottom left. List three ways in which you can contact Technical Support and provide their email address and phone number.

There are several methods available to reach out to Technical Support, including Email, Live Chat, and Social Media platforms like Facebook, X, and Instagram. For assistance via email, you can contact Technical Support at technical.support@gcu.edu. Alternatively, you can also get in touch with Technical Support by calling their toll-free phone number at 1-877-428-8447.

The following question is directed towards the GCU Website at: https://www.gcu.edu

10. On the Home page, click on Degree Programs, locate and click your area of interest, choose your Bachelor Program. Locate your Program Core Courses and list one course that looks most interesting to you. Why did you choose this course? Include the course name, course number and course description along with your explanation. 

1.  

My field of interest lies within the realm of nursing, and I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Among the various courses offered, Nursing Informatics stands out to me as particularly intriguing. This course, identified by the code NRS-450, is of great interest to me due to the growing integration of technology in the field of nursing.

The following question is directed towards the GCU Website at: https://students.gcu.edu

11. On the Home Page, locate and click Student Affairs, then locate and click Spiritual Life. Describe which sections of this page interest you. Why?

1.  

I am particularly drawn to Local and Global Outreach areas due to the potential they hold in providing me with valuable opportunities and skills as a healthcare provider. Engaging with community members beyond the confines of a healthcare setting and contributing to policy changes and empowerment initiatives are aspects that greatly appeal to me. These experiences would undoubtedly contribute to my ability to positively impact the health and well-being of individuals and communities.

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The following questions are directed towards the Student Success Center Website at: https://www.gcumedia.com/lms-resources/student-success-center/v3.1/#/

12. On the Student Success Center website, search for the Writing Center and visit the page. Review the resources and services in the section Research & Writing Help. What resource do you think will be the most helpful for you in the research and writing process?

1.  

Academic Writing & Study Skills appears to be the most beneficial resource for me during the research and writing process. This is due to the fact that I will acquire knowledge on paraphrasing and citing sources, which are aspects I need to enhance.

13. On the Student Success Center home page, type “New Student Success” in the search bar and visit the page to explore the resources. List three tutorials or webinars that will help you most as you begin this course. For each, explain how you feel they will help.

1.  

The Student Portal, Library Walk Through, and LopesWrite tutorials are the three resources that will greatly benefit me. The Student Portal webinar will enhance my ability to navigate the portal efficiently. Additionally, the Library Walk Through tutorial will provide me with the necessary skills to utilize the library effectively. Lastly, the LopesWrite tutorial will help as it will enable me to have my work checked for spelling errors, citations, and similarity scores.

PART 2: GCU Writing Expectations

The purpose of this section is to help you understand some of the academic writing expectations at GCU and in higher education. Included is a comprehensive list of writing expectations or guidelines you will want to adhere to during your academic career as well as ways to overcome common errors in college-level writing. After reviewing the Academic Writing Guidelines Resource located under this week's resources, complete the section below. In addition to this, you are welcome to use external resources such as the GCU Library, Google Scholar, or similar search engines to understand these guidelines and common errors more fully.

Instructions:

Place the correct guideline (the capital letters), next to the correct description of that guideline.

	Guidelines:
A	Contractions		F	1st Lines of Paragraphs indent 0.5”		K	Spell Check
B	Writing in third person		G	Conciseness		L	Margins
C	Times New Roman 12pt Font		H	Run-on Sentences		M	Text/Slang language
D	Double Space		I	Fragmented Sentences		N	Capitalization
E	Align Left		J	Idioms		O	Essay Formatting
	Guideline Descriptions:
K	Microsoft Word has a sophisticated "checker" to identify most spelling, grammar, and consistency errors. Remove all before submission.
D	An extra line between sentences accomplished by using the “Line and Paragraphing Spacing” option in Microsoft Word and selecting 2.0 Spacing.
F	The TAB key often makes a perfect 0.5-inch indentation by default.
L	All four sides of each page in your document must default to 1.0” for the top, bottom, left, and right sides.
O	Separates creative writing from formal academic writing including APA Style, MLA, and Turabian format and citation styles. Strict adherence is required.
J	Clichés, slang, or figurative language should be avoided. Instead, write out or use the definition instead of the cliché.
A	Avoid the shortened forms of one or two words combined. Spell out both words.
N	Be sure to use this appropriately for the first word in every sentence, proper nouns, and Netiquette.
M	LOL is an example of a term that should not be used in academic writing.
C	Most common standardized lettering and size in college level writing.
I	Microsoft Word will underline these errors with a blue line. Rewrite the sentence until the blue line disappears.
E	Paragraphs should be aligned to the left at the zero or null point on the Microsoft Word ruler.
H	Avoid extraordinarily long sentences. The word "and" can often be a place to split up a Run-on.
G	Avoid wordiness by deleting needless words and using Microsoft Word thesaurus for word ideas, synonyms, and antonyms.
B	One would, A person could, They should, She, He, It are examples of writing in this point of view.